ZAGREB, 13 April 2022 - The fight against the COVID-19 epidemic has cost the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO) HRK 5 billion (€666.6m) over the last two years and two months, Jutarnji List newspaper said on Wednesday.

The cost only includes testing, treatment, sick leave and vaccination, but not other economic costs, the cost of equipment or the cost of conversion of hospitals and other facilities used for the treatment of COVID patients.

As for the costs covered by the HZZO, treatment cost around HRK 1.9 billion (€253.3m),  testing HRK 1.7 billion (€226.6m), sick leave HRK 290 million (€38.6m) and vaccination HRK 1 billion (€133.3m).

The newspaper said that the amount spent by the HZZO would be enough to cover the debts of the health care system.

In addition to the cost of health care, by far the most expensive measure was the government's job retention scheme, which cost HRK 18 billion (€2.4bn).

In total, at least HRK 23 billion (€3.06bn) has been spent on combating the coronavirus epidemic since the first case was confirmed in Croatia on 25 February 2020, according to Jutarnji List.

(€1 = HRK 7.5)

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ZAGREB, 31 March 2022 - Over 720,000 pensioners in Croatia with a monthly pension allowance of up to HRK 4,000 will receive a one-off energy allowance as part of government measures to alleviate the impact of increased energy prices, and it will be paid out no later than May, the Labour and Pension System Ministry has announced.

Pensioners with a monthly pension allowance of up to HRK 1,500 will receive the highest amount - HRK 1,200. Those with a pension allowance of between HRK 1,500 and 2,000 will get HRK 900, those whose pension allowance is between HRK 2,000 and 3,000 will receive HRK 600, and those with a pension allowance of between HRK 3,000 and 4,000 will get HRK 400.

The energy allowance will be paid out per person and not per household, the ministry noted.

A total of HRK 480 million was allocated for this measure. The package of measures to mitigate the impact of increased energy prices, worth nearly HRK 5 billion, enters into force on 1 April.

Pensioners who receive a foreign pension allowance in addition to their Croatian allowance should report the amount of their foreign allowance to the Croatian Pension Insurance Fund (HZMO) no later than 30 June, so that they can be paid out the energy allowance in July.

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